Increase in the constitutive innate humoral immune system in Leach's Storm‐Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) chicks is negatively correlated with growth rate

Abstract

Summary1. Using a simple technique for assessing constitutive innate immune function recently adapted for use in wild populations, we characterize changes in avian immune system development by repeated measurements of individuals over the period of nestling growth in a wild population of Leach's Storm-Petrels ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa ). 2. We measured levels of natural antibodies (NAb) during the early, middle and late phases of storm-petrel development and related these levels and NAb rate of change to mass and wing length growth. We used natural variation in nestling growth to assess the influence of nutritional status on the development of innate immunity. 3. NAb levels increased over the first 50 days of chick development; however, rate of increase was inversely proportional to wing growth. 4. Initial titre levels were inversely proportional to rate of change in NAb levels over the first 50 days of immune development. This suggests that individuals with low initial NAb levels accelerate immune development to reach adult levels, whereas individuals with high initial levels do not. 5. As in previous studies, our results demonstrate an inverse relationship between growth rate and development of components of the avian immune system. While such a relationship is consistent with the idea that immune function development involves trade-offs, the processes involved are more complex than simple energy allocation.

Relationships between metabolic status, corticosterone secretion and maintenance of innate and adaptive humoral immunities in fasted re-fed mallards

“…Namely, while fed (control) and Rt females did not differ in body mass, total body energy content, plasma proteins or corticosterone levels, Rt females showed significantly lower acquired immunity (IgY levels) but similar innate immunity (levels of NAbs) than control females. These results emphasize that variations in immune function do not seem to follow a simple energy allocation model in which the highest body masses would be associated with the highest immune responses (Mauck et al, 2005). Therefore, various branches of the immune system observed at one stage in an individual's life cycle may not necessarily reflect inherent quality differences between individuals when environmental conditions such as food availability vary.…”

Effects of early developmental conditions on innate immunity are only evident under favourable adult conditions in zebra finches

“…Buehler et al 2009a;Lee et al 2008), but significant relationships have been found with growth rate, mass differences among nestlings, prolonged fasting, body mass and environmental conditions in other species (e.g. Bourgeon et al 2010;Buehler et al 2009b;Mauck et al 2005;Parejo et al 2007). The fact that agglutination titres did not vary with the experimental treatments in our study suggests that NAbs are not (or only slightly) affected by environmental conditions in zebra finches or that the species actively buffers NAbs against stress-induced changes (see also Buehler et al 2009a), possibly at the expense of investment in other life-history traits.…”

Genetic and phenotypically flexible components of seasonal variation in immune function

“…Natural antibody and complement activity was quantified following the hemagglutination-hemolysis assay described by Matson et al (Matson et al, 2005) with modifications described by Mauck et al (Mauck et al, 2005). Hemagglutination and hemolysis titers were scored as the last titer at which the rabbit red blood cells were agglutinated or lysed.…”